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© Musicademy 2007 1

© www.musicademy.co.uk

Musicademy

• About Musicademy

• DVDs for Guitar, Bass, Keys, Vocals,

Drums & Orchestral instruments

• Learn to play by ear

• Vocals warm up and workout CDs

• Worship Backing Band

• Blog and newsletter

Instrument roles for better band

arrangements

Each instrument has a role to

play in the band sound

Build better arrangements by

playing only your role

Your Role in the Sound

• Lead

• Harmony

• Texture

• Rhythm

Which ones could your instrument cover?

Which ones should your instrument cover?© www.musicademy.co.uk

Lead Vocals

Lead (not harmony)

• It’s about leadership not a perfect vocal performance

• Do everything to provide a clear lead

• You don’t need to be a great singer but you do need to be in tune and time

• Resist the temptation to freestyle or go ‘off piste’

• Use vocal cuing if you’re not a strong singer

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Backing Vocals

Harmony (not lead)

• Blend - watch lips – try to be as one voice

• Only sing melody to emphasise phrases or key lyrics

• If more than one BV stick to your harmony part

• Only use riffing on ‘out there’ moments to encourage abandoned worship

• Don’t upstage the lead vocal!

• You don’t have to close your eyes and adopt the holy pose – worship and be natural

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Keyboards

Rhythm/Texture/Harmony

• Rule of 1 - not like classical player

• Play just with right hand

• Same spectrum as lead guitarist so

don’t clash

• Smooth voice leading – inversions

• Don’t clash with bass player – don’t push bass notes

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© Musicademy 2007 2

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Electric Guitar

Rhythm/Texture/Harmony

It’s not an acoustic

2. Add colour

3. Your role is mostly rhythm

4. Easy to clash with keyboards

5. Find your own space

6. Parts of chords, drone strings,

CAGED, no bass notes

7. The capo is not a crutch

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Acoustic Guitar

Rhythm/Harmony

• Consistent locked in strumming patterns are everything

• Strumming patterns can imitate a drum groove. Low/high strings imitate kick + snare

• Create open ringing sounds with cheat chords

• If more than one guitar, lock together or play in different registers

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Bass

Rhythm/Harmony

• Lock to the kick drum

• Don’t play like a frustrated lead guitarist

• Timing and taste is everything

• Match the style - careful of the funk!

• Use inversions as well as root notes

• Licks! 151, chord tones, pedalling, ghost notes, maj7

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Drums

Rhythm

• Consistent groove

• Practice to a click -timing is everything

• Relax into fills

• Match the intensity of the song and other

musicians – don’t go nuts in the plastic

cage!

• If in doubt don’t use a drummer!

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Orchestral Instruments

Rhythm/Harmony/Texture (not lead)

• Your key role is not the melody!

• 5 choices if no set arrangements • Play in gaps,

• Chord tones – 1 3 5

• Synchronise rhythmic notes –whole notes, crochets, quavers

• Motifs at key points,• Don’t get bored - learn percussion

• Sing!